Rising Joie de Vivre Hotel at 50 Bowery Reaches 10 Stories

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The gaudy Peter Poon hotel at 50 Bowery – a development nearly a decade in the making – is finally undertaking its inevitable ascent. No longer in the excavation and foundation phase, its days as dirt pit are now deep in the past. Indeed, two months after the first evidence of concrete exoskeleton began to appear above the perimeter fencing, the structure is now at a sky-scraping ten stories. In fact, it’s almost taller than the adjacent Grand Old Bank at the corner of Canal.

The site is to spawn a Joie de Vivre hotel, as previously reported. This is the first New York lodge for the boutique brand, which resides in the stable of properties owned by Commune Hotels & Resorts. Expect a debut in 2016 … or later.

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Nevertheless, there is still some bitterness on the ground. There had been a minor scuffle between developers and preservationists who believed the historic colonial-era Bull’s Head Tavern was beneath 50-52 Bowery. Contractors also uncovered a cache of artifacts – bottles, plates, and oyster shells – that apparently date back over 150 years. Historians did debate whether the colonial-era tavern that George Washington frequented existed on this spot, but it remains a moot point.

Ultimately, owner Alex Chu and Peter Poon Architects were not inhibited from depositing the 229-room Joie de Vivre hotel. No intervention from the Landmarks Preservation Commission ever materialized.

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The future hotel at 50 Bowery